To See His Little Smile
by Evanescent Samurai
Summary: Told from the view of the bishounen himself, Soubi fullfils his promise to Ritsuka.


"Sou-chan," Kio whines in his annoying tone that almost screams, 'I'm bored! Let's go get drunk!'

I ignore his calling my name. I've got work to do. After all, I promised Ritsuka.

"Sou-chan, are you listening to me?" Kio asks, yanking my hair. "You really aren't interested in me, are you?" I only smile and continue mixing my paints. What should I paint for Ritsuka?

"You're my friend, Kio," I reply. Ritsuka said he wanted a painting, so that's what I will give him. Perhaps that will bring his adorable smile back to his lips. Oh, how I miss that little smile. Kio lets go of my hair. I can feel his looming presence, watching every circle my fingers make while I mix my paints. Doesn't he understand that I'm a little too busy to go get a beer with him?

"Why are you painting, Sou-chan?" Kio asks. His questions are becoming quite annoying. Maybe if I let one little Word spell slip… heh heh.

"The professor didn't assign anything." Kio continues to interrogate me. What's wrong with painting outside of class? After all, there's a lovely reward for me if I do this. I set my paints aside and reach for my cell phone. Kio tries to stop me, claiming that I should be listening to him instead of reading dirty email. Oh, Kio's such a joker. But still, Ritsuka has sent me nothing, not even a little text message. Ah well. I'll still paint for him. I take up the brush in my hands and dip it in the paint.

"I should teach Ritsuka how to paint so that we can do it together." The words softly escape my lips, and Kio stops griping at me.

"Sou-chan," he says, "you should stop dodging him and just play with the Aoyagi kid." I brush the first stroke of a lily onto the canvas. Perfect.

"He's served me notice," I smile. "Besides, I don't want to destroy the bond we've worked hard to keep from crumbling. After all, he's still a child." I glance at Kio's face from above the rims of my glasses. I need a new pair soon, but first I must paint. Another stroke, and I'm running my fingers through Ritsuka's hair. Petals appear on the bare stem, and I caress Ritsuka's ears. Color flows onto the blossom, and Ritsuka's cheeks flush with embarrassment. Oh, his little smile would mean so much to me.

"So, this is for Aoyagi, then?" Kio asks rather glumly. I nod.

"Ritsuka smiled when I told him I would paint a picture for him," I say. "I want him to smile like that again, a genuine smile." My hand continues painting, even though my mind is somewhere else. It is with Ritsuka. Instead of a paintbrush my hands hold and stroke his long, soft tail. I can taste his ears in my mouth as my teeth gently bite down on them. Damn, I want to see his smile!

"Uh, Sou-chan," Kio gasps. "That's a very beautiful butterfly you've painted. It's your best yet." I glance down at my painting. Kio's right. While I was lost in my thoughts, I painted an elaborate butterfly resting on the petals of my lily. My heart thumps loudly. I didn't intend for that. I hate butterflies.

"It's like you and Aoyagi," Kio teases. "You always follow and cling to him. You're such a perverted stalker, Sou-chan!" Despite his last remark, I laugh along with him. He has a point. Ritsuka is very beautiful, just like the lily, but I am no more than a butterfly, one so easily trapped and preserved just for selfish pleasures.

I decide that my painting is nearly finished. I'd rather not flood the piece with butterflies because of my distracted mind. I set it up on an easel to dry. Kio drapes a cloth over it while I wash my brushes and paint bowls.

"Thank you, Kio," I smile. "By the way, when does your new job start?" Kio grins, and his face becomes bright.

"Today," he says excitedly. "I pose provocatively in the nude in front of a bunch of people!" And he says I'm the pervert? No.

"I'm sure you'll be good at it, Kio." What else is there to say? There's nothing wrong with a little encouragement.

"I knew it!" Kio cries, feigning sobs to evoke pity and sympathy. "You really aren't interested in me!" His dramatics are too much to put up with.

"You're a nude model, right?" I ask quickly, trying to distract him. "I'd love to draw your body sometime." Kio stops howling and looks up at me. His cheeks are bright red. Yes! I'd hit the mark.

"Anything for you, Sou-chan!" he grins. Suddenly, he begins unbuttoning his shirt. I raise my hand in front of his face.

"Maybe some other time," I murmur. "I have to deliver my painting." I can't wait to see Ritsuka's face and his precious little smile.

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With the covered painting beneath my arm, I stand waiting outside Ritsuka's window. I can see him. He's sitting at his desk, staring longingly at the phone I gave him. I grin as I slide the glass screen open. Ritsuka jumped in is seat. He was expecting me, yet I still surprised him. He rises from his chair and stomps toward me.

"Don't you ever use the front door?" he scolds.

"But you always leave the window unlocked," I grin. I can see his eyes trying to inspect the gift I have brought with me. "For you," I say. He takes it from my outstretched hands, unsure what to do with it. I tell him to set it on the desk and lean it against the computer monitor. Ritsuka still doesn't understand what I brought for him. I know he wants to tear away the cloth, but he resists his urge to discover what he now has.

"Go ahead," I soothe. "It won't hurt you." Ritsuka nods at me, and he rests his hand on the soft, white cloth. I, too, place my hand on the cloth over Ritsuka's. Together, we slowly pull back the cloth. His eyes widen with surprise and happiness as the cloth falls into the seat of the office chair.

"Soubi," he gasps. "Wow."

"I painted it for you," I say, wrapping my arms around his small shoulders, "like I promised I would." I rest my head on Ritsuka's shoulder, watching his face from the corner of my eye. It's there, the smile I've been waiting to see. His lips are curved perfectly, his eyes sparkling with delight. I gently press my lips against his cheek, planting a soft kiss on his face. Ritsuka's cheeks are now a soft pink color. He looks so adorable. And, his little smile still remains.


End file.
